


Before the Dawn

by Asraella



Series: In Another Time [1]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst and Feels, Betrayal, Blood, Blood Bond, Blood Drinking, Bloodlust, Confessions, F/M, First Time, Gothic Romance, Halloween, Human/Vampire Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Longing, Mild Sexual Content, Romance, Sexual Tension, Vampire Bites, Vampire Turning, Vampires, Vervain, just for fun, magic amulets, mentions of The Kira Case, mentions of light yagami - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26753656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asraella/pseuds/Asraella
Summary: After surviving The Kira Case, L couldn’t imagine anything supernatural being able to touch him, but on his 26th birthday he meets someone that even knowing about the Shinigami couldn't have prepared him for.
Relationships: L & Watari | Quillsh Wammy, L (Death Note) & Original Female Character(s), L (Death Note)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: In Another Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138811
Comments: 22
Kudos: 26





	1. A Prelude...

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Everybody! So if you have been reading my other fic, [Somewhere Called Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765880/chapters/59881231), this is basically a Gothic Romance of L meeting a Vampire Kathryn. (Though it's not necessary to read that one. This is stand alone.) I wrote this last year, but as I hadn't posted SCH yet, it didn't make sense to share it before that one, so I thought "Let's make it a Halloween love story for our detective." 😁
> 
> As for my Lore, it's inspired by some of the things I love: Dracula, The Vampire Diaries, and White Wolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As with all my works, internal thoughts and internal dialogue are in italics.🖤

L inhaled sharply, his body lurching forward in his chair as the icy hand touched him from behind and ran five delicate nails down his neck until she came to his collar bone. Sliding her hand beneath the white cotton shirt, she rested her cold palm over his heart.

“Hello, Countess.” He could barely choke out the words as his pulse raced beneath her touch, his blood pumping hard beneath his skin.

She fought the urge to respond in a Transylvanian accent.

“Good Evening, L.” She smiled at being called ‘Countess’. It was endearing that he persisted in his pet name for her from their first encounter, even though they were far beyond that now.

She ran her thumb back and forth along the hollow of his throat before dragging her hand slowly up to his shoulder, her breath heavy against his cheek as she leaned her face close to him, breathing in the sweet that ran through his veins...

* * *

It was an unusually warm evening for the last night in a London October. The wind whistled softly as the last of the auburn-hued leaves floated and twirled to their Earthly resting place. The air was heavy and wafted with the scent of a tired summer refusing to yield to the impending autumn, the sky bright with cascading moonlight.

She sat on a bare Oak bough and breathed in the dampness, taking in all the aromas overwhelming her other senses.

It was then she first caught his scent drifting on the breeze. This was no ordinary blood, a sanguine blend of birthday cake and purity, the blood of someone untouched by another.

This was the scent of blood usually found in children, innocence mixing heavily with confections, but this was not the blood of an innocent. This blood coursed through the veins of someone aged, someone that was no longer a child. It was mature, yet still untainted and sweet…

…and it taunted her.

In the 153 years of indulging her predatory instincts, she had never experienced anything like him.

His blood sang out to her, a song she couldn’t ignore, one she couldn’t resist, and she found herself perched on the ledge outside his third story quarters.

The silhouette of a woman sitting on the outer sill drew his attention. Fascination and an inexplicable need for answers drew him to the window, opening it wide and demanding to know how, and more importantly, why she was there.

“Who sent you? How were you able to get past my security? And how in the Hell did you get up here?”

 _“How in the Hell indeed”_ , she thought to herself, smirking at his barrage of questions.

She inhaled deeply, tasting a hint of him on her tongue before exhaling through bared teeth that almost resembled a smile. At this close range, her prey smelled even more delicious and she had to gulp down the poison that flooded her mouth before she could begin speaking.

“I’m sure I can explain,” her voice hummed the words in a low, hypnotic melody that caught him off-guard. “I’ll give you every answer you desire. All you have to do is invite me in…”

_How dangerous can she be? Surely, I have the ability to disarm her if it came to that._

Misguided by arrogance, he spoke the words he would live to regret. “By all means then, please, come in and explain yourself.”

* * *

Swiveling his chair beneath him, he unscrunched his legs and turned himself to face her, looking up with dark circles outlining his stare. Reaching for her, he put his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him. She easily granted his request and she settled into his lap as she wrapped her arms around him. He immediately pulled her tightly against him and pressed his cheek to her chest.

“You’ve come a long way since our first meeting.” She purred, stroking his dark, messy mane.

“You know very well I find you irresistible.” He closed his eyes, breath quickening as he breathed in her earthy, ethereal scent.

She, too, was intoxicating, but for completely different reasons than he was to her. He smelled of untouched flesh and sugar-infused blood, a rarity to find in one so grown. Rare and unforbidden to her kind, he was an anomaly of human nature based on biology, beautifully reduced to nothing more than the laws of science.

But that wasn’t the case for him. In fact, it was an entirely different experience all together. She was long dead. She should have been nothing more than decaying tissues and bones, bereft of warmth and consciousness. She was an anathema to what it meant to be alive. She should be crumbling to dust beneath the ground in a long forgotten grave.

And yet, since the first night she lighted upon his windowpane, he longed for their next meeting, the next time she would arrive unannounced to take delicate drops of his blood to her mouth. She was not based in facts and science. She was the embodiment of magic, an avatar of the shadows, a creature born from the supernatural.

And he had learned long ago one cannot fight the supernatural.


	2. Interrogation

“Vampires? You expect me to accept the existence of such a thing?” The detective eyed her incredulously, eyes wider than usual as one by one she answered his questions.

“No, you don’t have to accept anything, but it is true.” She stepped away from him and leaned against the wall. The smell of his blood was making her salivate and she didn’t want to… _eradicate_ …the source of something so delectable. Why didn’t she just pounce when he invited her in, when she had the chance? No, she had to indulge his interrogation.

But it had been so long since she had anyone to talk to.

He flopped down on the edge of the bed, expression stunned as he stared at the floor.

“Heh, I don’t know why I’m surprised…after everything.” A small smile forged of disbelief and amusement toyed with the edge of his lips.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but I can promise you, it’s all very real.” She strolled over to his bed and sat in the empty spot next to him, making sure to leave space between them. This was not the reaction she was expecting. “Now that I’ve answered all your questions and you know that I’m not an operative sent here to…”

“Kill me?” He turned his eyes sideways towards her. “Isn’t that exactly what you are here to do?”

“I can guarantee you that I have no intention of harming you.” Drawing from an unknown well deep from where her soul should be, she placed a feather-light hand on his shoulder and radiated profane magic into the frail human. “An inquisitive man like yourself must have many more questions. You can ask me and I will be truthful.”

It took him no time to speak, a flood of questions racing to the forefront of his thoughts.

“Alright, Countess,” He smirked, please with himself and his little joke. “Are you able to shapeshift? Will the sunlight diminish you to ash? Does the blood of other mammals sustain you or must it be a human? Do you have to rest in a coffin?”

She smiled at him, retracting her fangs before she answered. “Yes I can shapeshift. The sunlight will end me. Animal blood can provide me nourishment, but it isn’t the same, and no, I do not need to sleep in a coffin, _per se_.”

“Per se?”

“There are ways around it.”

“What if you get caught outside and can’t return to your castle before sunrise?”

“Haha, you think I live in a castle.” Though she wore the smile of a predator, her expression was pure amusement. “Well-versed in Stoker’s most famous work, are we?” Her Laughter, hollow and beautiful, was reminiscent of an echo in an empty hallway, never knowing where it originated from but surrounding on all sides.

His cheeks reddened with embarrassment for showing his naivety as he reworded his inquiry, “What happens to you if you are kept from your dwelling?”

“Do you plan on keeping me here to see what happens for yourself? I can assure you that will not go the way you think it will.”

“No. I have no plans of harming you either.”

“If I must, I can meld into the Earth and wait out the daylight. It isn’t ideal, but it does the trick.”

“So you just vanish into the ground?”

“It pretty much works that way, yes.”

“Why am I so calm? You are inevitable death. I feel I should be experiencing at least a modicum of fear.”

“Because I’m _making_ you calm. I’m compelling you to not be afraid. Think of it as a mental tranquilizer.”

“Compulsion. Interesting. A fear inhibitor of sorts. What are the mechanisms for how that works? Surely it’s more sophisticated than just suppressing a response in the amygdala.”

“I have no idea how it works. It’s something I’ve just always been able to use, to make hunting…easier, less messy.”

He was quiet for a moment before he continued.

“Why are you here, specifically speaking?”

“Your blood is extremely rare. I could smell it coursing within your veins from quite a far off distance. I couldn’t help but want to know who emanated something so exceptional.”

“Rare? How is it rare?”

“It’s sweet in a way that is usually only found in children. It’s thick with confections and innocence.”

“So because I consume so many sweets it has made my blood sweet and innocent? That hardly seems likely, even when magic is applied to the situation.”

“Not exactly. The cakes and candies you eat make your blood sweet. Your blood is pure because you’re…untouched.”

“Oh, you can tell I’ve never…I see…” He returned his stare to the floor.

“Do you intend on killing my…colleague?” He chose the word carefully, to not give away his true relationship to Watari.

“The older man that’s asleep 2 doors down? No, he’s safe. I give you my word.”

He nodded and let out a small sigh of relief that should have been imperceptible, but he was not in the company of a mere mortal.

“Are you compelling me to believe you?”

“No, I can’t compel you to trust me. You must be doing that on your own.”

It didn’t matter anyway. She had stopped compelling him hours ago.

“Why do I then?”

“Only you know the answer to that.”

For a moment, he was quiet again.

“How do you feed?”

“It’s hard to explain. It’s more than just sinking my fangs into someone. There’s a finesse to it.”

“Show me.”

Her fangs grew long at the thought, venom coating the ivory daggers in preparation. “…Are you sure?”

“You’re going to feed on me whether I’m willing or not. It’s what you came here for, correct?”

“Yes, that is why I came here.” Suddenly she felt something strange, something she couldn’t remember the last time she felt.

Guilt.

How crude to treat the creature that spent the evening talking to her as nothing more than a member of the human herd that satiated her sanguine cravings.

He pulled the collar of his white long sleeved shirt to the side and leaned his head away from her, putting his jugular on display. “Well, get on with it. I want to know how it feels.”

“I can’t. Not like that.”

“Another misconception I have?”

“No, it’s just I will most likely kill you.”

“I see,” He muttered as he let go of his collar and tipped his head upright.

“Do you often kill your prey?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“I believe you just did.”

Ove the last century, The River Thames had become a graveyard for her leftovers, holding them securely beneath its frigid waters, rarely giving them up to the surface, but the last few decades had proven her to be a forgiving predator, leaving her prey woozy, but with their lives in tack. The rage and lust had become easier to keep at bay…for the most part.

For a moment she wanted to flee his room, erase his memory and vanish into the night, promising herself to never to see him again. The thought of hurting him was an unbearable weight, one she never felt before when it came to her blood lust. However, she was a monster driven by that lust…

“Why don’t we try this?” She took his hand in both of hers and curled his fingers until only his index finger remained extended. Bringing it to her lips, she very carefully nicked the tip and pressed until a drop of blood turned into a pool around his nail.

He pressed the thumb from his other hand to his bottom lip and concentrated on every movement her lips made. He watched her with intense eyes, his breath becoming heavier as she raised his hand to her mouth.

She sucked the crimson sweetness until his fingertip was clean, letting his hand linger on her lips before licking the wound into obscurity.

He inspected his fingertip with disbelief. “There’s no trace of your bite, Countess. How is that possible?”

“My saliva healed it.”

“Fascinating. There was no pain at all. You were very gentle.”

Their gaze met at the word ‘gentle’, his steel-blue eyes burrowing into her golden stare for uncounted moments before she spoke.

“I should be going. It will be dawn soon.”

“Before you go, what shall I call you…other than Countess?”

“My name is…Kathryn.”

“Hello, Kathryn. I’m L.”

_So that’s what he wants me to call him. Just his initial…_

Retracting her fangs, she smiled as she headed to the window, hopping onto the sill, readying herself to leave.

“Wait a moment.” He hurried over to her and, with bold caution, dragged his thumb over her mouth. “You’re about to leave with my blood on your lips.”

She brushed the back of her hand down his cheek, letting her touch linger a little too long. “And the sun will rise with my name on yours.”


	3. Anything For You

L paced up and down the floor, skulking from window to window, scowling every time he looked out and saw nothing there.

_It has been 5 days. 5 damn days. Did she get back before the sunrise? Is she safe?_

_Why do I care about this? She’s an abomination, living death, a crime against nature._

_A gentle crime against nature…_

He walked to the next window, hands shoved in his pockets as he scuffed his bare feet across the hardwood floor.

_I didn’t ask her how often she feeds. Why didn’t I think of that? So many questions I didn’t ask. Will she come back when she’s hungry? No, I was nothing more than dessert for a predator. Heh, I can understand wanting sweets, though._

_Stop it! Do not commiserate with a monster…_

“L?”

He almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of the familiar voice. “Yes, Watari, what is it?”

“Do you want me to tell them that you’re interested?” He repeated the question that previously fell on deaf ears.

“Hmm? Interested?” He put his hands to the glass and pressed his forehead against it, smudging its surface as he scanned the night sky.

“The Dabrowski case? Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, yes, of course…Yes, I’ll take it, but the investigation must be conducted from here. I’m not in the mood to travel to Poland.”

“Are you alright my boy? You seem a bit out of sorts.”

“No, yes, I’m fine Watari. Thank you.” His words, irritable and distracted, tumbled from his lips.

_I wonder if she’s feeding elsewhere, having conversations with someone else in the privacy of their room._

_I’m not fond of that scenario._

_Damn it. Stop thinking about this. She is not my friend. Why would I want that? I chose this solitude. I never acknowledge the occasional pangs of loneliness._

_Damn it, of all things to feel drawn to._

_But it was so very nice to have someone to talk to, to pass the hours of the night with._

_How did I let this happen?_

“Watari, I’m going to look through the Dabrowski files in my room. I won’t be needing anything. Feel free to retire for the evening.” Without waiting for a response, he moped to his quarters, locking the door behind him.

* * *

From the far wall to the window, to his computer and back to the window, L continued to pace.

_This is ridiculous. **I’m** being ridiculous._

He plodded uneasy steps back towards the window and, flinging it wide open, leaned out into the darkness.

_Where are you?_

With a heavy sigh, he turned away, shoulders more slumped than the usual hunch he wore.

A tiny thud alerted him to her presence, and he turned to be greeted by the silhouette crouched in the window he so badly yearned to see once again. She stared at him, golden eyes fixed on him with dark hair flowing down her back and framing her face, a baggy black t-shirt and ragged jeans covering her slight frame. The platinum chain hung from her neck boasting a large yellow topaz in an ornate setting, the only detail of her outfit reminiscent of what one thinks a vampire would wear.

“Countess!” He hurried towards her, reaching to help her inside.

It was her turn to look at him with a wide-eyed disbelief as her chest rose and fell in heavy pants. “How are you doing that?”

“Doing what?” He held his hand out to her. Something chivalrous had awakened in the awkward detective.

She placed her icy hand in his and hopped into his room.

“I only feed if I need to. I wasn’t feeding elsewhere, obviously I got home safely…and I enjoyed your company, too.” She locked her eyes into his incredulous stare. “Shall I go on? Or would you rather actually speak the words aloud to me now that I’m here?”

“…how did you?”

“I could hear everything you’ve thought for the last 5 days.”

“Every thought of mine? How?”

“I don’t know…In over a century, this has never happened before. I don’t understand it.”

“Everything?” His eyes widened in astonishment before casting them to the floor, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment at remembering the magnitude of her occupying his thoughts. “I have a very busy mind. That must have gotten quite cacophonous. I’m sorry.”

She stared up at her host, golden eyes burning into his stare as she carefully caressed his pale cheek.

_It isn’t your fault. It isn’t like you are doing it on purpose. I’m sorry I eavesdropped. I hardly had a choice in the matter, but it was never my intentions to invade your thoughts._

She spoke the apologetic words in hushed tones, but her lips never moved.

L rested his hand on top of hers, certain it was all part of the compulsion she used to sooth him, but unbeknownst to him, this was his own doing. “You…I see. Apparently I can hear your thoughts as well now that we are in close proximity of each other. Perhaps your touch makes it possible for me to hear you as well. Fascinating. And you have no idea how your magic works?”

“Until a few days ago I never so much as heard a whisper in someone’s thoughts and then meeting you happened.”

“…and everything changed?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any theories as to why this is different? Why I’m different.”

“Theories? Ha, of course, you’re a detective. You would need to get to the bottom of this. I get it though. Understanding it is the first step in finding a way to rid yourself of such a burden.”

“Who said I want to rid myself of it?” An involuntary smile came to his stoic expression, growing fonder of the creature sharing his headspace with every passing moment. “I merely want to understand it. I’ve recently learned this world has more mysteries than even my mind previously fathomed.”

_It hasn’t been completely unpleasant for me either, detective L, but I, too, would like answers to this mystery of ours._

Tipping his head towards her, he acknowledged her unspoken words. “Since we’re in agreement, please, come in. Have a seat in my desk chair or, if you prefer, you may sit on my bed. I’m afraid I don’t have much else to offer you in the ways of the usual hospitalities one affords a guest.”

“Still very chivalrous of you.” She moved with a grace that could be explained as nothing less than gliding as she took a seat in his desk chair, settling into its velvety upholstery, crossing her legs as she leaned back into the rare comfort it afforded her. She smiled at him, the tips of her fangs protruding just past her ruby lips. She couldn’t ignore how sweet he smelled, nor could she forget the how delicious he was the night they met and he willingly granted her a taste.

He sat on the edge of his bed, one at a time pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. “Now Kathryn, can you think of any reason why our interaction is different.”

“You invited me in. Rookie mistake, by the way.” She teased him, the smile she wore predatory, but kind. She knew better, but he was no longer just something to satisfy the pangs that nipped at her instincts.

“Yes, but vampire lore is not ubiquitous and at the time, I had no idea you were one.” He defended before continuing. “You’ve never sought someone out before?”

“I don’t have to.”

“You don’t have to?”

“No, I just take what I want. It isn’t in my nature to ask. Does the lion ask the zebra permission to feed?”

“That was your intention with me as well, I suppose.” He hung his head, a sadness washing over his usually absent emotions.

“That isn’t true. I had no desire to hurt you. I just…wanted to see what you were. You are no less an anomaly to me as I am to you. As you can imagine, the blood of children is not to be consumed, regardless of how pure and sweet it is. You however, are not off limits, being grown and all.”

“Did your sire teach you that?”

“No. My sire taught me many things, but what it is to be an honorable hunter was never one of them.” Her face hardened to match her porcelain complexion. “The Vampire Gerard taught me what I needed to know.”

“And you are The Vampire Kathryn?”

“No. I’m the vampire Katerina. It works differently among us, our names at the moment of embrace are our true names and it holds a power that can be very dangerous. You need not be concerned with that world. I’m quite sure it holds no answers you seek.”

“Alright. I believe you mean me no harm and if it’s fruitless to pursue such avenues as the vampire world, I have no choice but to take your word for it.”

“Please do. You will be safer that way. I hate to imagine if someone else ever noticed your scent. Plus, you would never want your true name being revealed, would you L Lawliet?”

His eyes widened, and for a split-second, he was afraid. ‘Of course you can tell. You can read my mind.”

“I actually could read your true name before our…connection happened. It’s a vampire’s gift I guess. To endear themselves to their victims.”

_Quite like the eyes of the Shinigami._

“What are Shinigami?” No thought was safe, especially when they were this close to one another.

“We can discuss that at a later date.” He counted on her inquisitiveness to bring her back to him once more. “I trust I will remain your little secret among your kind.”

“I will never tell another soul about your existence, living or not.” Through erratic breaths, she smiled calmly at him, her golden eyes becoming filled with garnet flecks, vivid even in the darkness of his room.

“You need to feed, don’t you?”

“Please don’t be scared. I no longer-“

“Think of me as your prey?”

“After that first night, when curiosity and cravings got the better of me…I never intended to see you again. The only reason I came back is because I could hear you so clearly in my mind.”

“You would have possessed my thoughts the rest of my life if you hadn’t returned. Now that you have, I just want to learn all I can, but if you need to hunt, I understand. Just please consider coming back.” He became agitated at not being able to keep her comfortable in his company. “I usually would have my…handler offer refreshment to a guest, but that isn’t possible considering the circumstances.”

“That’s alright. I rather stay a little longer, but I also prefer you to stay alive and my self-control drastically reduces the hungrier I become.”

“Perhaps, if you like, you don’t need to leave. If your eyes are any indication of your internal state, you’re not completely ravenous yet. I trust you won’t kill me, and I much prefer you not feed elsewhere when I’m right here to satiate you.”

She licked her lips at his offer. “Are you sure? I don’t want to take advantage of your generosity.” She had already stood and in a way that made time feel meaningless, found herself sitting next to him on his bed.

“I cannot tell if you are compelling me or not, but if you are, I have no choice but to agree and if you are not, then I am a willing participant in your feeding ritual.”

Climbing closer to him, she held his shoulders firmly in her cold grasp, no longer keeping the safe boundary between them. Her lips brushed the jugular that dwelled just beneath his thin, pale skin, and even without breaking the flesh, she could taste the sweetness coursing through him with his ever-quickening pulse at the anticipation of her bite.

Needle-sharp pricks to his neck begged him to lean into her, letting her teeth sink deep within him. Taking a short draw into her mouth, she growled as the warm, sanguine liquid washed over her tongue, a saccharine blend of strawberries and cream, with hints of pine and honeysuckle growing stronger with every pull. Confection played a part in his delectable sweetness, but the true specialness of his blood came from nothing other than the very essence of what it is to be him. It was like she was drinking in his soul.

Breath catching in his lungs, he moaned softly as she fed on him, the pressure of her mouth feeling more euphoric with every moment he was locked in her hold. Sometime during her feast, she had begun to rub her frigid hands across his shoulders, teasing the skin just beneath the collar of his white shirt as he held her tightly around the waist, pressing her against his body.

_Just as I suspected. You are truly gentle, Countess._

His words echoed in her thoughts in hollow whispers as he swayed in her arms, and though she hadn’t taken much from him, she knew he would give her more than he ever should allow.

A hushed gasp escaped her as she released him from her immortal clutches. Still embracing him, she leaned back, ruby staining her lips and running down her chin as she gasped reflexively for air she didn’t need.

“Don’t stop. I want you to keep going.” He pleaded, his voice lower than it had been in their conversations.

“Hold still.” She licked the wound tenderly, slowly closing it beneath the trail she drew with her lithe tongue before looking him in the eye.

“Why did you stop? I promise I felt no pain.”

“And I promised I wouldn’t kill you.” Worry in her eyes, she brushed the hair from his exhaustion-ringed eyes, made darker by allowing her to indulging her thirst.

It was easy to be with him, too easy, and she could see things getting carried away between them. The draw of his blood was strong, but nothing matched the exhilaration of sharing the confines of each other’s mind. Knowing another’s innermost thoughts and desires, feeling their pain and watching comfort drench their emotions when someone understands from the inside out. Yes, this was far more dangerous than bloodlust. “Please lie down.” She commanded softly.

“I’m not tired though.”

She stared deeply into his steel-blue eyes, holding his gaze with hers. “Yes you are.”

“I suppose I am a bit tired.” He instantly conceded, closing his eyes tightly as he let her lay him back onto his bed.

“I’m so sorry. Your shirt is ruined.”

“Ruined? I haven’t looked. Is it quite bad? I’m not fond of large amounts of blood. Personal reasons.”

“I know. I heard as you deliberated how much to divulge to me just now.” She took his hand in hers and felt him relax instantly at her touch. She slipped her thumb over his wrist, his pulse strong as it slowly returned to normal. “Would you like me to help you change your shirt before I leave?”

“No, thank you. It will be ok.” He purred sleepily at her. “Would you compel me to not be sickened by the blood on my shirt please? I can handle the rest from there.”

“Of course I will.”

“Kathryn?

“Yes?”

“I know you have to leave, but will you stay until I fall asleep please?”

“Anything for you.”


	4. Longing

A golden leaf floated in unpredictable swirls past the window while L stared out over the Winchester streets below, his eyes following its unpredictable path before it caught an up breeze and vanished into the distance. The sun was sinking behind the horizon, and the sky washed in violet and cobalt hues, announcing the inevitable arrival of twilight falling around him.

_Where are you?_

Another five days had passed since she graced him with her eternal presence, and though he was privy to her thoughts that rang hollow in his ears, he was beginning to grow irritable in her absence. This was new territory for the solitary detective, learning from his first “friend” that trustworthiness was not always a guarantee, and yet here he was, drawn to someone whose existence went against the laws of nature, an undead huntress that had set her sights on him…

_Maybe she no longer can hear me. Though I still hear her thoughts, albeit echoes, but it’s very loud, so she must be able to reciprocate._

_She sat for hours in that tree the other night talking with an owl, watching the rats in the cemetery._

_The cemetery! **That** is where she is. I could go there, for a walk. See if I can find her._

_She has thought of me often, perhaps she misses me? I miss her…or is it simply a symptom of her compulsion? No, what I feel is undisputable. I know no force of magic is responsible for this…no, it is real...I’m certain of it._

He started from his thoughts when she suddenly appeared on his ledge, barely making a sound as she landed gracefully into a crouch before him. Opening the window, he smiled at his ethereal visitor.

“I missed you too, detective.” She returned a wide grin at him, the tips of her fangs just peeking out from her scarlet lips.

“Can’t keep secrets from you.” He attempted to tease her, his smile becoming sheepish as he wondered how much she had listened in on.

“All of it.” She replied to his unspoken words. “I don’t have a choice, but I’m pretty sure it’s only internally spoken thoughts. Your internal monologue, if you will.”

“So I’m reduced to a Shakespearean character. Wonderful.” Sarcasm hung on his words.

It was the first time he was blessed with her laughter, rivaling the melodies of wind chimes traveling on the late night breeze. “I’m reassuring you that I can’t read your memories unless you’re actively recalling them, nor can I feel your emotions.”

“I’ll admit there is a part of me that is relieved to hear that.” He took her hands in both of his and led her over to his desk chair before he sat, continuing to hold her icy hands.

“I never meant to be intrusive.”

“It doesn’t bother me, sharing my thoughts with you. You’re already lurking around in my mind anyway. What I do want to know is how this is possible. I can understand you having that ability. You defy all that I knew to be true about living beings, but I am human. How can I share such a magical bond with you?”

“I really have no answer for you, but you are certainly not just a human. Your mind is quite remarkable…as is your blood.” Garnet speckles multiplied in her irises, filling the golden space with a flood of red.

“Kathryn…you need blood. You haven’t fed since we last met, have you?” Pulling her gently towards him, he guided her into his lap, an uncharacteristic action for the reclusive investigator.

Snaking her arms around his shoulders, she wove her fingers through his raven locks, not being able to remember the last time she felt something so soft. “That’s true, but that is _not_ why I came here.” Her lips curled into a coy smile, running her tongue along her increasingly protruding fangs. “Though I could go for a bite.”

“I see it’s your turn for levity, Countess.” His eyes fell on her gently as he ran his hand down the side of her cheek, skin like polished marble against his fingertips. “As you know, I’m a willing participant in your nourishment. I just want you to be comfortable while you’re with me.”

“Keep saying things like that to me, and I just may remember what it felt like to have a beating heart.”

“I never thought of that. You do not have a pulse anymore.” He tipped his head towards her. “May I listen?”

She nodded, a sorrow painting her delicate features. Somehow she couldn’t stand the thought of him not being greeted with the thudding sound that should accompany the feelings she was having for him, feelings she knew better than to have for a mortal being, fragile in design and flawed in the execution.

Tilting his head, he carefully pressed his ear left of the center of her chest, pulling her closer, wanting to reassure her that whatever did or didn’t resonate within her made no difference to him . Maybe this was nothing more than a side effect of their bond, but he didn’t care.

She danced her fingers across the nape of his neck just beneath his dark locks. “Detective, what does it sound like?”

“A seashell with the ocean trapped inside. I can hear your breaths echoing within you.” His arms tightened around her, a imitation of a hug that brought comfort to the fiend as he continued to listen. “It’s quite a lovely sound.”

“If it brings you joy, then I’m glad I continue in this useless habit.”

“Habit?”

“Yes, breathing is just going through the motions. I drew my last true breath over a century ago.”

“I see.” L lifted his face from her chest and leaned inches from her face, his lips grazing hers with every word. “Kathryn, what happens when you grow tired of me?”

Once again, she found she had no answers for him. She never had a pet before. She had always just fed and left, leaving her victims with nothing but disoriented wooziness and no memory of what had transpired.

Other times she had left them lifeless, but that would not be the fate of the young man that unwittingly and arrogantly allowed her into his room, who willingly permitted her to drink freely from the well that ran through within him. She hated to admit this, but she cared for the young detective. A cardinal rule was to never care for one of the herd, let alone fall for one of them, but whatever she was experiencing with him had gone against all reason from the beginning. Why start to follow convention now?

“Oh, don’t worry yourself with that. When this is all over, I will keep my promise. I will not harm you.” Making equally measured folds, she rolled his long white sleeve up to his elbow, exposing the dark veins dwelling under his thin, pale skin. With the tip of her tongue, she traced the blue lines that ran up and down his arm and settled her mouth on his wrist, giving it a light kiss before nicking the vein and taking in a long, slow draw of his blood.

He wobbled before leaning back in his chair, allowing her to drink deeply from him for several euphoric moments. “Can we please take this to my bed? You can have all you like if I can just lie down.”

Releasing him from her bite, she licked the wound clean before pressing a tiny kiss to the once opened skin. “It’s not a good idea, especially after last time.”

He caressing her cheek with his. “Watari believed the stains were caused by me suffering from a bloody nose. I can always use the same excuse if things get out of hand again.”

“I don’t want things to get out of hand again. I want you to be safe.” She ran her hand down his cheek, tracing the angles of his jawline before standing from his lap. “I _do_ think you should go to bed, though. I know you haven’t slept since I saw you last.”

“That’s true. My insomnia is incessant as of late. My mind refuses to yield to sleep.”

Her brow scrunched at his admission. Being a repetitive food source for a creature of the night begged the question if this worsened affliction was caused by the regular meals he was providing her. “Would you like me to assist you in falling asleep?”

“No, and I trust you to not force your will on me like you did last time.”

She wanted to tell him she hadn’t been compelling him since their first meeting when she discovered he was level-headed enough to handle what he was learning about her and the world of darkness she was born from, but her intuition screamed that this wasn’t the first time he had a killer in his room.

She wanted to tell him that everything he was feeling was magic beyond her control, something pure, a word never applied to her immortal existence, but it was safer if he held doubts, safer if he believed that his feelings towards her were nothing more than the manipulation of a vampire’s prey. “I won’t compel you to sleep. Not without you asking it of me.”

“Thank you, Countess. I believe you will not go back on your word. However, I do have a request of you.”

“And what might that be, Detective?”

“If I go to my bed, will you lie with me for a while? I’m not ready to be deprived of your company quite yet, especially since I have no guarantee if or when you will visit me again. We can communicate with our thoughts to lessen the risk of waking my-”

“Father?”

“…of sorts, yes.”

“Ok, I will stay with you on two conditions.” Her eyes glistened at him through the dimly lit room.

“Alright. What are your terms?”

“That if you fall asleep, I get to slip out without waking you, and two, I want you to tell me what a Shinigami is.”

“I knew you wouldn’t let that go.” He smirked with enjoyment at her persistence. “I agree to your requests.”

“Your thoughts are so complicated. I have so many questions for you if you ever care to indulge me.”

“Since I can only assume I’m doing this of my own volition, I just may have to tell you whatever you wish to know.”

“Wonderful. What the hell is a Beyond Birthday then?”

“Heh, if that is something you want to know, I hope you intend on staying the whole night, Countess.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”


	5. Origin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everybody! I hope you're enjoying my humble little fic. A Real quick note...
> 
> Therianthropy is the mythology that humans can shapeshift into animals. 
> 
> Torpor means inactivity and is the term used in White Wolf's mythos.

_Three days…_

_How did I let this happen? Is she even real? Perhaps the Kira case affected me more than I thought. No one else has seen her. She could very well be nothing more than a hallucination brought on by my reclusive lifestyle. Lately I have isolated myself more than I had on other cases. Maybe loneliness is something that afflicts me after all. Or maybe the stress of not being able to truly trust Light-kun when he was supposedly my friend was too much._

_At 26 years old I invent an imaginary friend, someone impossible to exist. Wonderful…_

Kathryn suddenly appeared, perched on his windowsill. “I promise you I’m quite real.”

“I can only take your word for that. Although you do show up every time I start to get impatience with your absence. It’s a good argument that I just imagine you when I want you here most.”

“Or I can hear how much it’s bothering you and I come to alleviate you of your concern.” Her laughter rang on every word. “Do you just keep the window open all the time now?”

“Yes.” He answered flatly. “I want you to be able to have access to my room even when I’m not here.”

“Like a vampire doggy door. Adorable.” She scoffed with a playful and anachronistic charm. “Perhaps you would prefer my wolf form in the future.”

“Do you have the ability to change forms? Is Therianthropy in fact real?”

“Well, I don’t know if I qualify as human anymore, but yes, I can shapeshift if necessary.”

“Fascinating. What other forms are you able to possess? Can you become a bat as well?”

“No, Darling, I have never turned into a bat. But every vampire gets two forms. One fight, one flight. My flight form is a raven.”

“So if you were ever in trouble, you could just shapeshift and be safe then, correct?”

“It doesn’t work that way. Animal forms only last as long as the blood from your most recent feed lasts. Think of it as running on a battery where the blood is the charge. When the blood runs out, so does your animal form.”

He pressed his thumb to his lip, pensive in his continence. “What happens if your blood runs low?”

“I return to my human form and must feed immediately or I will end up going into torpor. It isn’t something I can’t rely on for long term protection. It’s something we can possess for only a short while.”

“Does that amulet you wear offer you some protection?” He pointed a lanky finger to the charm hanging from her swanlike neck.

“No, but it offers you some.”

“What does that mean?”

“Let’s just say it keeps my soul in tack.”

He sighed solemnly. “So I continue to worry when you’re not here with me.”

“You’re very sweet-“

“As you’ve said.” L interrupted, a sly grin on his ever-paling face.

“Funny…you know I meant your demeanor. As I was saying…you’re very sweet, but you don’t have to worry when I’m away. I’ve survived a long time out there. I will be alright.”

“Kathryn where do you go when you leave here? Where do you stay?”

“Where all dead things go. In the cemetery of course.”

“…You’ve got to be joking…”

“I wish I was, but no. There is a mausoleum in the far corner of the graveyard. It belongs to my family. When it was built, they put a secret room in the back for me to _live_ in, somewhere I could be safe for all eternity.”

“So they knew about you, about what happened to you…”

“Yes, they did.” She smiled softly at him, something that could only be a remnant of her human disposition.

“Were they frightened of you or did they accept your new form?”

“I’m standing here before you today aren’t I? My parents were wonderful people that would have done anything for me. They didn’t care what I was. They said it was no different than if I had caught a disease and no parent would disown their child over a disease, even if what I have is a disease of the soul.”

“They sound quite caring. I’m sure they loved you a lot.” Her words made him wonder what his parents had been like, their memory only fragments in his mind. “Do you have relatives that are alive now? Perhaps a great grandchild or great grandniece or nephew?”

“No. I was an only child and never lived to have any children of my own. My family died with me.”

“Kathryn how did this happen to you? Will you tell me?”

“It’s horrible not knowing something, huh detective?”

“I think it’s safe to say we are both curious in nature.”

“I will tell you, but the tale is going to take a while.”

“That’s alright. I have all night.”

* * *

The two young women worked tirelessly in the old abandoned shed. A little garden tucked behind the tiny brick building grew an array of herbs. Sage, basil and thyme sprouted from leafy green seedlings. Chamomile and lavender trimmed the garden as subtle splashes of white, yellow, and purples, a sight reminiscent of a garden any mother would tend to for her family, but hidden just beyond the edge of the woods lay a more nefarious crop.

Nightshade climbed the bark of the nearest trees while wolf’s bane and hemlock dressed in white and violet petals swayed gently in the wind, innocent yet deadly by nature of their existence.

Inside, the walls of the shed were lined with an assortment of herbs hanging upside down by their stems to dry. Various stones were nestled among the books that lived on the oak shelves. Glass jars filled with water and labeled with names like thunderstorm, creek, and west well set in the windowsill to absorb the sun’s warmth and be infused with moonlight.

The girl with the raven curls twisted the hemp twine around the bundle of sage and placed it the basket with the others.

“Katerina, I need your help.”

“Shall I make a guess, Genevieve? You need me to tell your parents you’re staying with me tonight?” The girl with the wispy hair that fell in chestnut rings along her shoulders sat on the musty floorboards, weaving the garlic scapes into an intricate braid. “I don’t mind helping you deceive your parents, especially since you’re just here in the abandoned shed on my father’s property, but one of these days you’re going to get caught making one of your deliveries.”

“Well, Kat, that’s just it. I have to go to London with my parents and I have a package that can’t be delayed.”

“I can bring the herbs for you. To whom am I bringing them? Is Miss Merriweather needing her weekly delivery of Chamomile and Basil?”

“No, this is a special customer.”

“What special customer?”

“It’s for Alexander Trask, the gentleman that moved in to the mansion at the end of Old Winchester Road. He wants his monkshood delivered at midnight this Saturday.”

“You want me to sneak from father’s house and walk all the way to Trask mansion in the dark?”

“You can get there right through Micheldever Wood behind our little workshop. There’s a full moon even. Should be a quick delivery.” Genevieve’s eyes focused on wrapping the sage into bundles, but a sly smile came to her face. “He’s quite attractive as well and very debonair.”

“I will go this one time, but that’s it.”

“You’ve never meet anyone like him.”

“He’s just a man, Genevieve. It isn’t as if this is going to change my life forever.”

* * *

Kathryn tucked herself into the same position the detective held, staring at the floor while he listened to her story.

“He was everything Genevieve said he was. Dashing, charismatic, disarming. He made a point of requesting I complete all the deliveries from then on and that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. It wasn’t the only thing he wouldn’t take no for an answer for.”

“and you had no idea what he was?”

“Why would I think he was a vampire? Those are supposed to be nothing more than lore.”

“Yet you and your friend were practicing herbal magic, something that can be associated with witchcraft, so you must have had some belief in otherworldly things.”

“We did nothing more than dabble in the magic that dwells in fairytales. What we did was the equivalent to a modern day lemonade stand. We just sold herbs instead.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t be critical, since I refused to believe in the idea of the Shinigami.” He pressed his thumb harder to his lip. “Continue.”

“I managed to get away from his advances, but it was too easy, but I didn’t realize that at the time. I ran into the woods and when I looked back I saw no sign of him, but when I turned forward he was there, smiling and declaring that it would never be so easy to escape, that I was his and his alone. I fought him, but as you can see, I’m not a large woman. I had no chance against a mortal man, let alone a beast born from some unholy magic.

“When I made it difficult to…get what he wanted, he sunk his teeth into my flesh, which in retrospect I’m sure that was truly his intention all along. I tried to scream, but no sound would come, and he bit his wrist, letting his blood drip into my mouth before draining me lifeless, though life did not leave me. I became enraged, kicking him off me with inhuman strength which only seemed to fuel him on. He lunged at me, but I had grabbed a broken branch next to me. He impaled himself, right through the heart. He disintegrated into the most beautiful embers right before my eyes like he never existed.” She stared into nothingness, a serene smile on her paling lips. “I ran. I thought I killed him, but I wasn't remorseful. It’s hard to explain, but it was like being intoxicated, confused but invincible. I made it to the shed, fortunate that Genevieve was staying there that night. Thinking I was rabid, she asked if I had a run in with an angry raccoon. She didn't let me leave, fearful of what I was capable of. When the sun came up, it burned like I had set my hand on the kettle and all I wanted to do was suck the life out of Genevieve. All I wanted to do was escape, acting like an animal caged in that tiny shed.

“Genevieve blamed herself of course and wanted to save my mortal soul, even though I was sure it was gone. The monster was strong in me and I liked the hunger, but she hid me from the world, but letting me become weak from denial of the bloodlust.

My parents wondered what happened to me, but it was safer this way.

It took her a few weeks to figure out how to help me, finally deciding to tell my mother and father everything and asked for the topaz necklace my mum wore. It was my mother’s birthstone and Genevieve insisted it was necessary to save me, that it would bring back my sweet disposition. She claims she imbued it with my mother’s tears and my father’s blood. That’s why there are impurities in the stone.” Kathryn caressed the necklace with her fingertips. “She wasn’t wrong though. As soon as she put it on me, I felt like me again, but nothing quelled the hunger. I still had to hunt, still had to stay out of the daylight, still had to kill, but the necklace made it easier to keep the herd alive…for the most part.”

He hugged his knees to his chest. “That must have been very difficult to get used to.”

“The worst part was watching everything I loved die, and soon I was alone. Life is very long when you’re alone, immortal or not.”

“That must feel horrible.” His thoughts immediately went to the day that he would lose Watari, realizing he will suffer a similar fate in the future. “Do you not befriend others of your kind?”

“I’m more of the solitary type.”

“I understand.” A tiny smile pulled at his lips, somehow saddening his already sullen expression. “Have you ever thought of turning someone? Someone to spend eternity with?”

“I wouldn’t inflict this on anyone that I would care enough about to want to spend forever with.”

Letting out a quiet sigh, he turned his eyes up to meet her gaze. “I thought you would say that.”


	6. Bonds

“Would you like anything else before I retire for the evening?” Watari stood in the doorway to L’s quarters, the wrinkles on his face growing deeper with concern.

“Thank you, no.” L sat at his computer, one knee tucked to his chest as he sipped his overly-sweetened coffee, eyes ringed in a charcoal darker than usual.

“Are you feeling well my boy?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

Watari stared at the young man he thought of as a son. It was not uncommon for L to experience sleepless nights, nor was it out of the ordinary for him to have evidence of that sleeplessness around his eyes, but lately he noticed that the detective’s skin had become paler than usual, paper thin and translucent in spots, his eyes black in both skin and iris alike and he was certain it had been almost a week since he had slept.

“I hate to pry, but you seem to be out of sorts lately and to be frank, you do not look well. Your complexion is paler than what is normal for you and with the sudden occurrence of those nosebleeds—“

“Watari, please. I assure you I’m quite fine, thank you.” He didn’t like causing the man undo worry, but L was sure he wouldn’t understand the friendship he had made with a monster and he wasn’t sure how he would react to such a situation. It wasn’t worth risking her safety.

“Have you slept at all? You’ve been spending the evenings in your room, but I see no signs of you resting.”

“Watari, as I have already told you. I’m fine. I don’t need you parenting me.” He shot the older man a curt look. “Have a good evening.”

* * *

Three days had passed since L had last seen Kathryn, and though the time between visits had become shorter, the sound of her fingernail tapping against the window’s glass brought him relief.

He hurried to the window, letting the human-esque creature crawl into his room, fangs dominant in her wide smile.

“I hear your father is concerned for you.”

“He’s not my-“

“Hush. Biology or not, you care for each other like family.” She sat on the edge of his bed and patted the spot next to her. “You are looking a bit unwell.”

Obediently, he took the spot next to her, pulling his legs to his chest. “I don’t feel unwell.”

“I’m afraid that allowing me to feed on you is becoming detrimental to your health.” With cautious fingers, she brushed his hair from his tired eyes. He looked like the slightest touch could tear through his flesh.

“I don’t want you feeding elsewhere.” His tone bordered on demanding. Even though she could kill him easily, he was used to being in charge of situations.

“Luckily for you I’m not hungry yet.” She ran her hand softly down his cheek. “I’m only here to see you.”

“Did you discover why we are connected through our minds?”

“No, there’re not a lot of resources for this sort of thing. I just wanted to be with you.”

_Why of all people to seek my company does it have to be someone that--_

“Someone that’s what? Unholy? Is a monster? A scurge?” She interrupted his thought aloud, hurt where he expected anger to be.

“Not at all. Why do you have to be burdened by such an affliction.”

She sighed, “For your own good…You may not want to start caring about me.”

“Unfortunately for both of us, that is not something I can control.”

“No, but I can. I can make you forget all about me, like I never existed, which would probably be best for you.”

“Kathryn, you assured me that you would no longer compel me without my consent, and though there is nothing I can do to stop you, I would hope that you would not go back on your word. We may not be able to keep our thoughts from each other, but—“

“L, I promised. Now it’s just up to you to believe me.”

* * *

It was barely twilight when Kathryn perched on his window ledge, excitedly waving at him through the glass.

He flung the window wide and offered her his hand. “Two days in a row? I feel honored.”

“I know why! At least, I think I know why.” Placing her icy hand in his, she jumped within the confines of his bedroom.

“You know why we can speak in our thoughts? I know it’s been occupying your mind a lot lately. You’ve figured out the reason?”

“Yes, we’re blood bonded.”

“I thought we established that.”

“Yes, but it’s _how_ it happened.”

“Care to enlighten me?”

“The difference between you and anyone else I’ve ever fed on, the only difference, is that you _let_ me. You were willing. No other prey…person has ever let me drink from them willingly. I’ve always compelled them or just attacked them.”

“Are you certain that it’s something so simple?”

“I don’t have proof, but if you would like me to befriend another human and test the theory…”

“No, that’s quiet alright. If that’s the only way to obtain definitive proof, I prefer never to know for sure.”

* * *

In the early morning hours, a knock came to the Detective’s door, a sound that would have woken him if he had been sleeping, but why would he sleep when he could spend the nighttime with his vampire companion. “Come in Watari.”

The older gentleman opened the door and stepped inside, a tray of coffee and doughnuts in hand. “Good Morning L. How are you feeling today.”

“Like I have informed you every day for the last several weeks, I am fine.”

Watari set down the tray and focused on L, examining him with careful eyes. “You’re even paler and that is something I never thought I would say.”

“Why are you persisting in these questions? I haven’t neglected my cases nor have I abandoned my meetings with my successors. Why do you think there’s something causing me harm?”

“Causing you harm? That’s a peculiar way to refer to an ailment.” Tipping his head towards L, Watari frowned as he took a closer look at his _son_. “Lately, I hear you mumbling in here. You have never been one to talk to yourself. What is bothering you? Is this case causing you that much strife? Perhaps you needed to take some time after the Kira case. Maybe I should make arrangements for you to take leave from here for a while, to recuperate. Mello and Near are more than capable of handling things for a few weeks.”

“I’m not leaving here.” L growled uncharacteristically at him, his features dark and stern beneath his inky locks.

“What is troubling you, my boy. Why are you so determined to-“

“Watari, I am begging you to let this go.”

“I’ve always trusted you to come to me if you were in trouble and you’ve always been able to gauge that for yourself, but-.”

“Please stop treating me like a secretive 12 year old.” L’s voice became soft and hollow. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“I believed you when you said Beyond was the killer in the LABB case, didn’t I? And when you said that Light was Kira. I believed you about the existence of Shinigami. Give it a go, L. I may surprise you.”

“I’ve met someone. I’ve never known anyone like her.”

“Is that what this is about? You’re lovesick?” Watari desperately tried to stifle a chuckle as relief washed over him. “If that’s all this is, why haven’t you told me? I know you like to keep things to yourself, but if she’s affecting you this much, she must be something quite special.”

“She’s a vampire.”

“A vampire?”

“Yes.”

“A blood drinking being that feeds on humans?”

“Yes.”

“L, are you sure this isn’t exhaustion or loneliness finally catching up with you?”

“Quite. I’ve been letting her feed on me of my own volition apparently causing us now to be blood bonded. We share our every unspoken thought…and I think I’m in love with her.”

“This is serious. If she’s a vampire, she could be compelling you to let her feed on you. This is dangerous.” Watari paced back and forth. “How do you know your feelings for her are even your own?”

“She’s not compelling me. The only way the blood bond works is if I willingly let her drink from me. It’s the only thing that sets me apart from her other-“

“Victims?”

“I assure you I’m not a victim.” He scowled up at him. “I appreciate you believing me, but your doubt of my affections for her being anything other than my own is disappointing.”

“Why do you keep forming attachments to people that could kill you without a second thought?” Watari couldn’t help but feel this was somehow a fault in how he raised him.

“Must you bring that up?” L glared at him.

“I just want you to be safe. This is a large thing to accept, but more so, this is incredibly dangerous.”

“I’m not keeping her out.”

“I know. I learned long ago I can’t force your will, but I fear she could.” He set a hand on L’s shoulder. “Let me do some research. Talk to my contacts that are familiar with vampire lore. There must be a way to test your feelings are genuine. If they are, I will never bring it up again.”

“This is unnecessary.”

“Perhaps, but do it to help an old man feel better.”

“I agree if this is the only way you will stop speaking of her like she’s a ghoul with evil intentions towards me, but I absolutely refuse to do anything that will harm her. Whatever you find must not compromise her safety nor shall it make my blood undesirable to her. Do you understand?”

“Yes, L. I will respect your wishes.”


	7. Betrayal

“And you are certain if I wear this that it will not harm her, correct?” L frowned at the gold ring, scrutinizing the strange gem laden with the dried fragments of Vervain beneath its surface.

“Completely. The moment you remove it, you will be at her mercy again.” There was an uncharacteristic edge to Watari’s tone.

“Please stop speaking of her as though her intentions towards me are nefarious. I don’t doubt her. I am merely doing this to quell your suspicions.” L scowled up at him, the shadows almost black beneath his eyes. “Can you guarantee that this will not have a permanent effect on the quality of my blood?”

“I’m concerned that you’re more worried about being a continuous food source for this ghoul than your own safety.”

“Do not refer to her as that. You’ve never met her. You don’t know what she’s like.”

“As long as she doesn’t ingest the Vervain, she’ll be fine. That’s why we chose the ring instead of having you drink tea laced with it.” Watari sighed in resignation. “She’s feeding off of you, a literally blood-sucking leech that you are allowing to slowly drain you of life. How do you not see this?”

“Perhaps you should have been this concerned when someone was actually trying to kill me through supernatural means.”

“I believed you from day one about Kira. I did everything you asked and I stood by idly and watched you get close to that fiend…I will not make that mistake again.”

“Too late, Watari. I love her and when she passes your little test and proves _to you_ that she has not been compelling me, I want you to accept her. Can you do that for me?”

“If she proves to want you as more than a meal-“

“I think I’m more of a dessert to her.” L interrupted, a devilish smirk toying with the edge of his lips.

“I don’t need details, I just want to be assured you are safe and she isn’t forcing you to feel this way.”

“Then you’ll know what I already know as true.”

* * *

L paced back and forth in his room, hands shoved in his pocket with shoulders hunched more than usual. He rubbed his thumb against the ring he had jammed on his index finger, reluctant to go through with Watari’s plan, but if it would put the older man's mind at ease, it would be the first step in his acceptance of the possibility of L becoming like her. He flung the window wide open and kept a safe distance from it. He wasn’t willing to take any chances that the ring could cause her real harm.

It had been four days since she had been around and he wondered if she knew what he and Watari had planned, worried that she felt betrayed. He was careful not to think of the horrible things watari said about her, not wanting her to know that the person he trusted the most didn’t trust her.

The sun had set behind the horizon, the sky soaked in an aubergine glow when she lighted upon his window sill.

“Countess!”

“Detective. What’s wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing. Why would you think-“

“The amount of effort you’ve put in to avoid talking to me in your thoughts, how you’ve been incessant with that case you’re working on...”

“I’m incessant about all my cases.”

“This is different. You’re deliberately trying to keep me out.” Pouncing into his room, she padded silently towards him. “L, I haven’t fed in days and was wondering…”

“Of course.” Never removing his hands from his pockets, he sat on his bed, tipping his head away from her, exposing the thin skin his jugular hid beneath.

Her lips curled into a smile stretching over her extended fangs, lowering close to his neck, just nicking his flesh before she sprang away from him. She crouched to the ground, her nails growing into shiny claws as her eyes became nothing more than black voids in her slight features.

“Vervain?” She hissed at him through heavy pants. “Why would you ever?”

“Watari promised it wouldn’t harm you, that it wouldn’t taint my blood. It’s in this ring.” He took his hand from his pocket and yanked it from his finger. “See, it’s gone. Everything is ok.”

“It may not have poisoned your blood, but it certainly makes it undrinkable. If you had that in your veins, you could have killed me.”

“No, I would never do that. I specifically told Watari that I refused to do anything that would make my blood distasteful or endanger you. He just wanted proof that you weren’t compelling me to let you feed on me.”

“What?” Her fangs grew longer with every snarl. “I already told you I wasn’t, that I hadn’t compelled you at all since the night I met you and once when you needed sleep.”

“Watari didn’t believe me. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen. This was the only way he would-.”

“So that’s why you’ve been blocking me from your thoughts. You were planning this.” The distorted words were more of a growl, echoing from deep within her hollow insides. “Did you honestly think you could trick me? My eternal curse aside, I grew herbs in my living days for God’s sake!”

“I assure you I would never try to trick you. I had no idea the Vervain could affect you if I hadn’t ingested it. I never thought you would be able to tell. It would merely hinder your compulsion and assuage Watari’s concern. The only reason I agreed to this was so Watari would understand what I’m doing.”

“Understand what your doing? Have you been allowing me to feed on you because I’m just another novelty to you? To add vampirism to your vast knowledge of supernatural creatures alongside the Shinigami?”

“You _must_ know that I have genuine affection for you. You’re in my head, how could you not know this?”

“I’m in your _head_ , not your heart! I only know the thoughts you are actually thinking in the moment, not your feelings.”

“Why else do you think I would even entertain Watari’s plan?”

“Enlighten me, Detective? Why would you go along with such a horrible plan?”

He lowered his eyes from her vacant stare. “I want him to accept you. I want you to-”

“You realize I could kill you both? And since you so foolishly invited me in, I can return at any time to do so.” She threatened through bared teeth.

“I know you wouldn’t do that.” L gulped down his ever-building regret. “You’re in a feral form and you still aren’t attacking me, and I know the ring wouldn’t prevent you from tearing me to shreds. I trust you…I always have. You even said you stopped compelling me that very first evening. I’ve always trusted you, Kathryn, right from the start.”

She sidestepped her way to the window, never taking her blackened eyes off him as she climbed onto the window ledge, the moonlight reflecting off her porcelain skin. “But I no longer trust you.”


	8. Forgiveness

The sun vanished into the horizon, the paleness of late autumn surrendering to the night. Hands shoved in his pockets, L stared out the window and waited for the friend that never came.

_Eight days…Katerina, I’m sorry. Please just let me know you’re safe._

“Still no sign of her?”

L shook his head solemnly at his adoptive father. “I can no longer hear her thoughts either. I’m worried something has happened to her.”

“I’m sure she’s fine my boy. She’s just upset.”

“She was more than upset when she left.” L scowled but never faced him, never turning his diligent eyes away from the window. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had just trusted me.”

“I trusted you during the Kira case and you almost got yourself killed.”

“She isn’t Light. She’s not pretending to be my friend or to care for me. She’s genuine in her affections and now I lost her.”

“You don’t know that.” Watari tried to reassure him, but to no avail.

“And you don’t know that it isn’t the case!” L snapped before exhaling slowly, trying to calm this uncharacteristic temper he had developed. “Watari, I would appreciate it if you would leave. If I can’t be with her, I would rather be alone.”

With a deferential nod, he turned and left L with his loneliness.

* * *

Thunder cracked over Headquarters, lightning briefly illuminating the dark room as L sat slouched in his chair. Two more days had passed, and L had barely left the window, thankful that sleep refused to look for him. He needed to stay diligent in his thoughts to her, hoping that even though he could no longer hear her, she could still hear his pleas to return on last time.

_I understand if you never wish to see me again, but please…please. I just need to know you’re alright and I won’t bother you again…please Kathryn. Please come back so I know you’re alive._

_Please._

It felt like an eternity, waiting for her to return, but eternity was exactly what he had been hoping she would grant him, and now he would be grateful for a few fleeting moments to say goodbye.

He rubbed his eye and stood from is chair, finding himself once again pacing the floors, shoving his hands in his pockets as he tried to steady his fears that the worst had happened to her.

He was on his hundredth pass back and forth the width of his room when he heard the drag of nails scratching against glass. He turned to see Kathryn clawing to be let in, raindrops streaking down the pane, obscuring her image.

Moving with inhuman speed, he leapt towards the window, almost breaking the latch as he granted her entry to his room.

Her hair hung in clumps around her face, her eyes almost completely white, a hint of an iris barely present in the form of a blue ring. Her porcelain skin appeared rigid and taut, her lips nothing more than a crimson slit torn into her face.

“Kathryn!” He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, her drenched body soaking his white T-shirt. “Thank God you’re alright!”

She shook in his arms, clutching the cotton fabric of his shirt in her claw-like grip. Though she couldn’t feel the cold she was emanating, she was not immune to the effects of fear. “Detective…I…it almost killed me.”

“What happened?” He stroked her hair, trying to pull her tighter to him. “I knew something was wrong. When I could no longer hear you in my head…I thought I would never see you again.”

“There’s a silver medallion on my family’s mausoleum. I don’t know how it got there, but I couldn’t get back in.” She buried her face into his chest, her words becoming muffled. “After what happened with you, I was angry, but I didn’t feed on anyone else…I had nowhere to go when the sun came up. I had to ground meld. Without having fed, I didn’t think I would be able to get out again. I truly thought I would spend the rest of time buried alive, knowing what was happening but not being able to free myself.” Her hollow voice trembled the words. “I think the only reason I could escape was because of our bond.”

“I would never have stopped waiting for you.” He gently ran his fingers along her back, trying to warm her. “Who would take such a cruel and superstitious action?”

“It’s not superstition though. Silver can harm me and if they dipped it in holy water…”

“You’re safe now. Tomorrow I will have the medallion removed and destroyed. I will have Watari manufacture paperwork ‘proving’ he is a distant relative of your family so we can have the mausoleum moved onto Wammy property. That way no one else can indulge their childish occult beliefs and you will be safe for the rest of your…”

“Unlife?” A half-smile tugged at her mouth. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to.”

“Watari doesn’t trust me.”

“He does now, and even if he didn’t, it isn’t his call.” He rested his cheek on the top of her head and closed his eyes. “I will always protect you.”

“I know you will.”

“You’re freezing.” He began to rub his hands up and down her back, rain dripping from her and forming a puddle beneath their feet. “You should get out of these wet clothes.”

“I don’t feel it, but I do need to feed…Desperately.”

Reluctantly, he released her from his grasp, taking her hands in his and leading her to his bed, pulling her towards him as he sat down. Grabbing his shirt by the back of the collar, he yanked it over his head and tossed it carelessly into the shadows of the room, tipping his head to allow her full access to his neck. “Please. Take all you want. Now we don’t have to worry about blood ruining my shirt. You only have to be limited by your desire to keep me alive.”

“You’re going to be so cold if I don’t change…” She hesitated for a moment before crossing her arms in front of her, grabbing each side of her shirt and pulling it off, dropping it on the floor before undoing her jeans and leaving both in a wet heap at his bedside. She stepped towards him, straddling his lap as she wrapped her arms around him. He sat still, but he felt like his blood was shaking in his veins, crying out to her as she lowered her lips to his neck. Her ruby-stained mouth skimmed his pale skin, lingering over the pulsating jugular that made her salivate as her fangs grew longer, to taste his blood rushing in time to his heartbeat.

Snaking his arms around her waist, he slid her closer against him. “You don’t have to be careful. I trust you won’t kill me. I am your preferred blood after all.”

“I won’t kill you. I promise.” Her breathy words were cold against his throat, numbing the flesh before she sunk her teeth deep into him, slowly drawing his blood inside her mouth, each suck becoming greedier as she gripped her icy hands into his shoulders.

He gasped, his blood spilling into her with every euphoric pull she took from him, his breaths becoming pants as he dug his fingers into her lower back, rocking beneath her in rhythm to each hungry taste she took from him.

Several moments passed and with a hiss, she released him from her venomous bite, lapping the wound with her tongue, leaving a deep purple bruise beneath his thin skin. Her small body heaved with every breath, her eyes glowing red before returning as his blood restored her usual appearance. Leaning into him, she nuzzled the mark she branded him with before pressing a kiss into the delicate flesh. She ran her hands through his messy locks, touching the tip of her nose to his. “Thank you, Detective.”

“You don’t have to stop,” He whispered, his lips ghosting against hers. “I quite enjoy being the one you come to for sustenance.”

“You are so much more than just a meal for me.” The frosty words danced across his lips, sending a shiver throughout him. “And it isn’t just the blood bond we share.”

“I am?”

She nodded before allowing their lips to meet, mingling softly against each other, becoming deeper with every passing second. The room blurred around them. It didn’t matter that her heart had long since died. His heart pounded hard enough for both of them. He found himself clinging to her, the room spinning in a haze that even his breathlessness and blood loss couldn’t cause. Amidst the countless uninhibited moments, her fang nicked his lower lip, a tiny speck of blood pooling beneath their kiss. She ran her tongue softly along it, cleaning the lesion before retracting her fangs.

“Even your kisses are sweet,” She purred as she combed her fingers through his wild mane, pressing her hips into him. “I can imagine everything with you would be sweet though.”

“Countess, I’m not opposed to you sharing my bed for the night, or forever if you choose, but won’t that change the way my blood tastes to you?”

“I don’t care.” She kissed him softly behind the ear, tickling him with her freezing cold nose.

“Are you sure?” He caressed her shoulder, cautiously running his fingers beneath the lace strap that clung to her. “My blood will no longer be a rarity to your kind. I will no longer be special to you.”

“You will always be special to me, Detective.”

He gently pulled her against him, lying back onto the bed. “In that case, Countess, I will gladly give myself to you.”


	9. Yours

L’s pulse pounded in his ears, blood rushing through his veins as Kathryn kissed the ring of teeth marks she had imprinted on his inner thigh before slithering up him and resting her head on his chest.

“You’re so warm.” She nuzzled her face into his flesh as she cuddled herself around him, her breath verging on labored pants as she fought the urge to sink into him again as she waited for the blood she already consumed to quell her want.

“No one has ever referred to me as warm before, neither in temperature nor demeanor.” He rubbed his hands up and down her body, cold as marble, yet soft against him. With delicate fingertips, he drew circles along the skin stretched across her shoulders and wondered what she was like when she was still mortal, when her heart still beat within her chest.

“L, why don’t you want me to call you your true name?” She carefully traced the cut of his muscles along his chest.

“I told you the moniker I’m known by.”

“I know, but I mean what L stands for. Like I’m Kathryn, but my true name is Katerina.”

“I don’t know what it stands for. I was very young when I was orphaned. Watari could not find my birth records. Apparently someone tried very hard to conceal my existence…or erase me.”

“Would you like to know it?” She sat up to look him in the eye.

“You can see it?”

“No, it’s not like what the Shinigami can do.” She smiled softly as she ran her hand down his cheek. “I can taste it in your blood.”

“I think I would rather not. Not at the moment anyway.”

“If those are your wishes.” She kissed him sweetly before returning to her position snuggled against his chest, his heartbeat a comfort now that she was satiated.

Resting his cheek against her head, he breathed in the scent of dead leaves and lilacs that emanated from her. He wrapped his arms tighter around her bony frame, wanting nothing more than to hold her closer, but how do you hold on to something so ephemeral, something that wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place.

Something that was never meant to be his.

“Kathryn?”

“Yes L?”

“Will you turn me?”

“I don’t think you know what you’re asking.” Her delicate features became somber. “You’re asking me to kill you.”

“No, I’m asking you to give me forever...A forever with you.”

Propping herself up on her elbows, she stared into his steel blue eyes. “I can’t do that to you. I can’t do to you what that bastard did to me. I just can’t.”

“But it isn’t the same. It isn’t against my will. I want this.” He quietly pleaded, a hopeful smile brightening his expression. “I would make a good mate for you, I promise. I would make sure you’re always safe and you will never need to hunt again. You can teach me all the powers you possess. Compulsion would be very useful in my line of work and to be immortal would take a level of danger away from my cases.”

“L…I…” The pained look in her eyes made his stomach twist.

“Is it because you don’t want to lose me as a source to feed on? Didn’t tonight change the quality of my blood? I would no longer be considered a rarity.”

“No, you are still as sweet as you ever were, but that isn’t it. If we were both vampires we could feed on each other if we wanted…more for fun and less for nourishment, but we could.”

“Please let me join you in eternity. Please Kathryn.”

“I can’t. Please understand.”

“Then move in here with me. I will still have your family’s mausoleum relocated to the grounds and I will make Headquarters safe for you to live in. You would have an entire building instead of a crypt. A house… a home here with me.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…for anyone involved.”

“At least stay until we can get everything situated at the cemetery so I know you will be protected, though I would rather you made living here a permanent situation.”

“Alright,” She agreed with reluctance. “Let’s compromise. I will stay with you until you meet someone else. Someone that can go out in the sunlight. Someone you can have children with if you choose. Someone to grow old with. Someone alive. You deserve that.”

“Do you think I would be here with you like this if you were a stop-gap? I was alone for 26 years because I chose to be, not because I had no options. There will never be anyone I want other than you.”

“Then I will stay with you until you turn old and grey.” She kissed the tip of his nose before snuggling up to him, feeling like she had condemned him to a horrible fate.

He pulled the blanket up, tucking it securely around them. “Kathryn, please reconsider giving me forever.”

“That _is_ the human equivalent of forever.”

* * *

“How is Kathryn adjusting to her new living arrangements?”

“From what she’s told me, she’s been quite comfortable.” L climbed into his desk chair and settled down in front of his computer, pulling his legs to his chest. “Here she has a steady source of nourishment without any danger of being harmed by ignorant people or the unfortunate possibility of being caught by the sunrise. And of course she has me.”

“I will say you look much better since she’s been staying with you. Not so pale.”

“She can feed on me regularly and therefore does not need to take as much.”

“And have you convinced her to make you one of her kind?” The words stuck in Watari’s throat.

“No, she continues to refuse to turn me, but that doesn’t make me want her any less. I still want to be with her forever.” He lowered his eyes to the top of his knees. “Watari I want to cure her.”

“Cure her?”

“Yes, I want to find a way to make her human again and I need your help.”

“L, I don’t know if that’s possible. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Then we make it a top priority to discover the secret.” He couldn’t help but smile at the thought. “If she doesn’t want to turn me, then I can return her life to her, restore her humanity. Let her regain her soul. Will you Watari? Will you help me, because whether you do or not, I will find a way to save her.”

“You have been in much better spirits since she’s moved in here, my boy, and what little I’ve seen of you two together, she does seem to care deeply for you, which is what I always wanted for you.” Watari closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before continuing. “Alright L. I will help you.”

* * *

The dead grass and fallen leaves crunched beneath L’s sneakers as he approached the mausoleum. Watari had successfully forged the paperwork claiming he was a descendant of Kathryn’s bloodline and the family crypt would be moved to Wammy’s property within the hour, and though Watari had promised the removal of the horrible silver crest that kept her from the safety of her tomb, L wanted to destroy the artifact himself.

With hands shoved in his pockets, he stopped in front of the iron gates that afforded extra security to the old concrete building and glared at the seal with scrutiny, his brow furrowing with growing concern.

_Kathryn…the man that turned you…his name was Alexander Trask, correct?_

She stirred from her daylight slumber, his voice soft and familiar in her thoughts, a sound she wouldn’t mind hearing forever, but that would not be best for him.

_Yes, L. Why do you ask?_

He grumbled a sigh, yanking the offending trinket from the bars, a solid disk of silver with one simple word inscribed in the middle…Trask.

_I think we may have a problem._

* * *

“She’ll be safe here L. I give you my word.” Watari set a hand on his son’s shoulder, trying to calm his nerves. “Nothing will happen to her.”

“Did you make the arrangements I asked of you earlier today?”

“Yes, L. She is completely provided for in case she chooses not to return to mortal life. She will be cared for long after our demises.”

“Did you find anything out about the Trask family?” His face was covered in worry.

“There doesn’t seem to be any living relatives, nor is there any record of what happened other than the Mysterious Count Trask vanished from Winchester one day. There really isn’t much on the disappearance. The Townspeople assumed he just left as suddenly as he had appeared. However, there is speculation among those in certain _circles_ that a hunter was looking for Trask not too long ago. If that’s the case, then he may very well have discovered Kathryn’s existence as one of his _children_.“

“I don’t like this. Not one bit.” L turned his bluish-grey eyes up at him. “Have you made any progress on curing her of this curse? The sooner she’s freed of it, the better she will be, especially if there is a hunter pursuing her, seeking to end her existence.”

“Roger and I have learned of a few instances where local lore hints at the possibility of vampire curses being cured. Nothing concrete of course, but something I can work with.”

“I’ve discussed with Kathryn the herbs that both help and hinder her kind. I’ve also done extensive research on the subject and though I do not know of any sure-fire solution, I think I’ve come up with an idea.”

“Then let’s get to work my boy. Let’s save your Countess.”

* * *

“You look lovely in that.” L’s eyes reflected the tiny flickers cast by the candlelight softly illuminating the room that once was L’s bedroom, now her safe haven.

Black satin and chiffon hung around Kathryn’s subtle curves, lace detailing accentuated the bodice, corseting down her pronounced spine. Dark ringlets fell along her shoulders, her eyes glowing red through the dim glow filling the room as she turned away from the window she used to sit outside of.

“I think it suits a vampire very well.” She smiled warmly at him, her fangs pronounced along her ruby lips.

He closed the space between them, joining her at the window, moonlight causing a blue haze over the property. Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and set his chin on top of her head. “This is all yours now. This is your home. You never have to be on your own again.”

“What if you decide you miss your solitude? Then I will just become a burden to you.” She closed the curtain across the window.

“You will never be a burden to me.” Pulling her gently, he turned her around to face him. “I will always want you. I can be perfectly content alone with you.”

He hunched closer to her, letting his lips brush hers before sinking into a hungry kiss. As if she was made of glass, he picked her up and carried her to their bed, their lips never breaking as he laid her down on the black cotton sheets. Rearing back, she let out a hiss, running her hands under his shirt before pulling it off, leaning up and pressing her mouth to his throat, her breath hot against his neck as her fingernails traced the line of his jaw.

_Detective, may I have a taste from you?_

His hands caressed up and down her body, fumbling to find a way to remove the dress that kept her skin from his.

_You don’t have to ask, Countess. I belong to you._


	10. The End

L smiled at the woman nestled in his arms, her head resting on his chest, the black comforter draped across their intertwined bodies, concealing them from the outside world.

“Kathryn…Katerina?” His pulse quickened as he prepared what he was going to say. “I will ask one more time. Will you please reconsider turning me.”

“Detective, please. No more talk of that.” She sat up, kissing him on the chin before situating herself to look him in the eye. “I want you to be alive and well so one day you can have a real life, one with a living, breathing person to spend your years with…someone whose heart can actually beat for you.”

“We’ve discussed this. I will never want another.” With the tips of his fingers, he gently caressed her cheek. His touch, usually cold to others, felt warm against her skin. “Perhaps we can approach this another way.”

“And how to you suggest we do that?” Her eyes glistened at him, the golden shine returning to her irises.

“I believe I’ve found a way to cure you.”

“Cure me?” She huffed a laugh, her expression becoming incredulous at the realization he was serious. “Oh…you mean it.”

“Yes. Watari and I think we’ve discovered how to restore you to your human state. Not only will you be able to live out the rest of your life as mortal, but the hunter will no longer have a reason to pursue you. You will truly be safe…safe here with me.”

“Do you know what you’re saying? Have you thought this through?” A tremble hinted in her stern words. “I’m 153 years old, older if you count the years I was human. I could age all at once and turn to dust in front of you. Or I could frenzy and kill you and Watari. There’s no telling what could happen. Besides, we don’t know if that hunter even knows about me or if he even exists. Trask had a reputation that only became more nefarious as the decades passed, as was my disappearance, too. The medallion was probably nothing more than childish superstition.”

“Nothing in my research suggests that you will be put in any danger. I wouldn’t do it otherwise. I would never risk you like that. And we don’t know that there isn’t a hunter after you...or worse, it could be Trask himself. This is the only way you will be safe if you won’t turn me.”

"Trask is dead. I watched him burn before my very eyes." Worry carved deeply into her brow. “If I turn you and there _is_ a hunter after me, you won’t be safe.”

“I’m not safe from the hunter either way. Whether you’re human or vampire, if I’m with you, he will be hunting me as well.” His steel-blue eyes widened as he stared at her. “I would prefer you make me an eternal being like yourself, but if you continue to refuse, the only course of action would be to make you human again. Please Countess. Consider the options.”

“You’re never going to stop putting yourself in danger to be with me, are you?” She looked like marble, her features hardening as she spoke.

“I will never stop protecting you and I would gladly give my life if it means you’re safe.”

“I was worried you would say that.” Sadness painted her in calmness. “I will give it careful consideration.” She lay back next to him, hugging him to her as she stroked his inky black hair.

_Now sleep, my Detective, and know that you were the first person I’ve loved in over a century…and you will be the last._

* * *

L awoke to sunlight streaming through the window, curtains waving under the command of the early winter chill blowing into the room. It took a moment for him to realize what was happening, the daylight no longer welcome to fall upon the walls of Headquarters.

“Kathryn?” He sat up, panic flooding him when he saw he was alone in the bed. “Katerina?”

But there was no one there to answer. His thoughts had gone silent.

His eyes fell to the pillow, nothing but the impression of her silhouette and the topaz necklace she told him held her soul. His breaths became gasps, quickening as his fears swelled inside of him, his shaky hands clutching the amulet tightly in his hands. “No…Countess…no.”

_Kathryn…please._

But still he was met with silence. The voice that haunted his thoughts had abandoned him.

Jumping from the once safety of the bedsheets, he stumbled to the window, heart pounding in his throat, the blood rushing in his ears, making it hard to stable himself as he was greeted with the offensive glare of morning. His stomach twisted as a flurry of golden ashes floated into his room, landing softly against the pane, the amber glow snuffing to black against the cold surface.

_Countess…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the original ending, but seeing as this was supposed to honor him for his birthday, let’s try that again, shall we?
> 
> Alternate Ending Next Chapter!


	11. Forever

L smiled at the woman nestled in his arms, her head resting on his chest, the black comforter draped across their intertwined bodies, concealing them from the outside world.

“Countess…I think I’ve discovered a way for you to stay with me forever…well, it would be a human forever…I believe I found a way to return you to your mortal state.”

“My mortal state?” Her laughter rang without inhibition, her face softening when she realized he was not joking. “Oh, you were serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. I wouldn’t jest about something of such importance.” His eyes saddened at her reaction. “I hoped that this would be an acceptable compromise…Kathryn…Katerina?” His pulse quickened as he prepared what he was going to say. “I will ask one more time. Will you please reconsider turning me.”

She leaned up to face him, her golden eyes sparkling at him. “You really aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

“No.” His blunt reply brought a smile to her lips, his blood still staining them ruby. “I was sincerely hoping you had changed your mind.”

“Why would I change my mind? Especially if you think there is a hunter after me. If that’s true, he will be after you, too.”

“He will be after me either way. I’m connected to you and if he ever discovered our bond, it would undoubtedly put a bounty on my head as well, human or not.” His steel-blue eyes burrowed into her golden stare. “I would be safer if I, too, were like you. If I were an immortal, we could defeat him. The hunter would become the hunted.”

“You’d kill an innocent person? That doesn’t sound like someone that took on Kira.”

“This isn’t murder. This is self-defense and if I was a vampire, it would just be my nature to hunt. If it eliminated a threat to your existence in the process, well, it would just be a fortunate side-effect.”

“You really mean it, don’t you? You don’t care that I’m a monster. You truly want to be with me forever…”

“Of course I mean it. Why is this difficult for you to understand?”

“Coming from the man that thinks no one would want him forever either.”

“I would make a good mate. I would do anything for you. I just want to be with you. We wouldn’t have to stay here. I have Headquarters all over the world. L is a title, a legacy. No one would ever need to know it is actually the same man for centuries. We would be safe and together. His voice softened in resignation “…we could be happy.”

“Alright Detective.” Propping herself up on one elbow, she rested her head in her hand as she stroked his cheek lovingly. “I’ll turn you.”

“What?” His eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and joy softening his angular features. “Countess, please don’t be so flippant in regards to my request. I simply wanted to express-“

He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence. Pouncing on top of him, her lips pressed to his, silencing him mid-rebuttal. Usually he would object to being interrupted, but in this moment, couldn’t have cared less. It took no time for him to yield to her kiss, wrapping his arms around her small frame to keep her close until she broke away to speak.

She sat up, resting her weight on her knees. “I mean it. I will turn you.”

“You will?” His heart pounded in his chest, a sound she would miss horribly, but the look in his eyes made it a sacrifice she was willing to make. A smile stretched across his pale lips. “Excellent. How do we proceed?”

“I really don’t know,” she giggled, an almost human tone returning to her words. “All I remember from when I was turned is I was forced to drink his blood when he was draining me. We’re going to need human blood for you to feed on when you are becoming immortal. Genevieve said it’s how you accept the curse. I don’t remember feeding before I returned to the shed that night, but I’m guessing I must have. My dress was covered in blood. I just assumed it was mine.” Her eyes darkened until no iris remained.

He sat up, scooching back against the headboard and tucking his legs to his chest as he reached a hand towards her. “What else can you tell me about that night?”

She gripped his hand, being careful to not grab with all her strength, made more difficult under the stress of the discussing the night she died. “Well, it was a full moon and we were in the woods. That is the only other thing I can think of.” She stared him dead in the eye, voice shaking as she spoke. “L, what if I don’t do it right? What if I kill you?”

“That won’t be possible. We will replicate the circumstances exactly as they were when you were turned and I will have Watari ready with blood here at Headquarters, as a safeguard. The property borders the same woods you were changed in and with your speed, there is virtually no risk.” He rubbed his thumb soothingly against the back of her hand, reassuring her with every gentle word. “And when it works, I will ingest the blood and then our forever can begin.”

* * *

Moonlight spilled across the property, as bright as the mid-day sun as L & Kathryn walked hand in hand to the edge of the woods, the pine and oak shadows welcoming them upon arrival.

“Are you sure you want this?” Her bare feet padded across the leaf-strewn grass. “What if you can’t eat cake anymore? What if strawberries make you sick afterward? What if when the sun comes up you need to sleep and it takes you away from your cases?”

“I will gladly give up sweets if it means I get to be with you forever and if the sun’s will forces me to sleep during the daylight hours, then so be it, though you seem to not be affected by it. I’m really not concerned in the least.”

“You hate the sight of blood. What if you can’t feed and you go into torpor?” The black folds of her skirt skimmed her ankles, the black bodice of her dress tightly hugging her.

“Kathryn, stop. It’s going to be alright. In the past few months I’ve grown quite accustomed to blood thanks to your need to drink it to survive. It’s all going to be fine. I promise.” He smiled dreamily down at her, his eyes reflecting the icy moonlight as he stroked her cheek gently. “We’re at the edge of the woods. Are you ready to begin?”

“Yes.” Out of habit, she took a deep breath, slowly exhaling with no foggy haze to accompany it. She turned to face him, her smile dominated by her pearly fangs. “Have I told you how handsome you look? I’ve never seen you wear anything other than your white shirts. Black suits you.” She knelt down on the scarlet and amber blanket of leaves and held her hand out to him.

He took her hand and squatted beside her, brushing his hand over the button down shirt. “Watari suggested I wear something nice since this is a special occasion and black will lessen the sight of any blood that may get on me.”

“I promise you, I’m not going to miss a drop. I won’t mess this up. Now lay down in my lap. I felt extremely woozy as it was happening so I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

He obediently followed her gentle command, lying across her thighs as she held him in her arms. One by one, she undid the top three buttons on his shirt, sliding her hand beneath the fabric and resting her palm on top of his beating heart one last time. “Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes, Katerina. I am quite positive.”

She nodded her reluctant agreement. Bringing her wrist to her lips, her fangs nicked her flesh, allowing her blood to flow freely from within her. Before she could lower it to his mouth, he took her arm in his hands, greedily drinking in the crimson pouring from her as she stroked his tousled hair.

“Take a lot,” she cooed at him softly. “I want to be sure there’s plenty in your system to make this work and if not, hopefully there will be enough to save you.”

With a gasp, he released her from his bite. “You’re sweeter than I expected.”

“Probably a symptom of our bond.”

“What do you mean enough to save me if it doesn’t work?”

“Vampire blood can heal mortals.”

He smiled up at her, her blood smeared across his mouth. “I have so much to learn.”

“And you will.” She caressed his cheek gently. “You can still change your mind.”

Sitting up, he stared into her eyes, inches from her face. “Katerina…grant me forever. Turn me now. I want you to.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, reaching up between his shoulders to hold him safely to her. A hiss inadvertently escaped her before letting her teeth sink deeply into his tender flesh, his breaths becoming heavier with every pull she took from him. She drank from him ravenously, an insatiable hunger filling her, a sensation she had never felt before, not even when feeding on him. She gripped her nails into his back, soft moans purring from him with every drop she took. Several moments had passed before she reared back, ceasing the gluttonous ritual so she could look at him, his life running down her face, dripping from her chin into tiny unseen puddles on his shirt.

“How are you feeling, Detective? Are you alright?”

Glistening red eyes stared into hers, a wide grin stretching across his features.

“Yes, Countess, I feel amazing.” He panted the words through bared teeth, though the air he took in was no longer necessary.

He had become hers.

“Almost done. We just need to get some human blood in you.” She returned to stroking his hair. “Do you feel well enough to stand?”

“Yes, Countess, but first…” He pulled her against him, kissing her with a fervor that only deepened his desire, the moonlight drenching them in a frosty glow.

Breaking the kiss, she leaned back to stare into his now scarlet eyes, laughing at his new found energy. “There will be plenty of time for this…after you feed.” She stood up, holding her hand out him, which he took with unnecessary strength and began walking back to Headquarters with his eternal mate by his side.

“I’m going to have to get used to this. I’ve always been stronger than I look, but this is a whole new experience.” He grinned, running his tongue along his perfectly straight teeth. “When will my fangs be accessible?

“Once you drink blood, the transition will be complete and then you will have the ability to show your fangs…and many other things.” She squeezed his hand tighter. “Are you feeling strange?

“Strange?”

“Do you have the urge to kill? When I was in your state all I wanted to do was kill.”

He became thoughtful for a moment before answering. “No, I feel content. Invigorated, but content. Perhaps our bond is responsible for the ease of this process.”

“Or maybe it’s because you wanted to, like how our blood bond happened between us.”

“For once I really don’t need to know the answers. Just being with you is enough for me.”

As they approached the back steps of HQ, Watari stood waiting for them on the back porch with three glasses of red liquid. “Welcome back. I thought it would be nice to celebrate the occasion.” A hint of an accepting smile came to his lips.

“This is thoughtful Watari. Thank you.” L’s red eyes caught the older man off guard, but he tried to hide it the best he could.

“Of course my boy.” He handed each of them a glass. “Blood for the couple, wine for this old gent.”

Kathryn took the glass and smiled at her mate. “When you drink this, it will be complete. You’ll never be alone again. You will be with me. Forever.”

Taking the glass to his lips, L drained it until not a drop remained, his eyes returning to their usual steel-blue, his transition complete.

“Yes, Katerina. Forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for Reading! This was a fun one to write & I appreciate you stopping by to take a look! 
> 
> For more Death Note, you can find me on [Tumblr](https://my-one-true-l.tumblr.com/) or [The-L-Chronicles](https://the-l-chronicles.tumblr.com/) if you're into my L series. 
> 
> Have a wonderful Spooky Season!!!🎃


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